The PsychCare+ team at Western Psychiatric Hospital is hiring a Behavioral Health Navigator I to support UPMC McKeesport.

 

The Behavioral Health Navigator I will be responsible for the assessment and navigation of patients and families in need of psychiatric services in the emergency department and on the inpatient medical acute care units. This includes completing thorough psychiatric assessments as well as discharge and safety planning amongst the emergency department and consult liaison attending physicians and teams.  The incumbent will coordinate an individualized plan of care based on the psychiatric assessment and ensure clinical documentation regarding disposition, safety planning, and referrals to outpatient services or transfer to a higher level of care. 

 

The incumbent must have the ability to identify acuity level of the patient and facilitate the flow of information to promote effective communication regarding the patient care, operations, and disposition. The incumbent must be able to work well independently but also interact well with multiple teams and points of supervision. Candidates with strong clinical psychiatric backgrounds are preferred. The shift for this position will include two 8-hour shifts every 2 weeks as well as 1 weekend shift per month. Shifts will include days, evenings, and nights. The incumbent will also work 2 major holidays in the first half of the year and 2 major holidays in the second half. 

 

While a member of the PsychCare+ team at Western Psychiatric Hospital, the incumbent is based at UPMC McKeesport. For more than 100 years, UPMC McKeesport has been committed to providing compassionate care for the community, priding themselves on combining tradition with the advanced technology and expert care expected from a world-class academic medical center.  

Responsibilities:

Meet standards for clinical documentation and accurately completes the psychiatric assessment, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), commitment status, and suicide assessment/reassessment and safety plan. Demonstrate ability to utilize DSM-5 to develop provisional diagnosis. Demonstrate knowledge of mental health laws and ensures completion of legal commitment status within the appropriate timeframes. Knowledge of insurance programs, processes and able to obtain authorizations as needed. Participate in interdisciplinary activities such as staff meetings and other committees as assigned. Maintain educational and competency requirements including but not limited to Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Positive Approaches certification upon hire/annually, Counseling for Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training within first 3 months of hire, CPR, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Learn and utilize up-to-date technology in delivery of patient care for assessment and disposition/referral planning. Efficiently take a sizable volume of calls and disposition callers to meet their needs rapidly. Follow outpatient scheduling or referral documentation guidelines. Responds rapidly to appointment or inpatient admission requests through email, phone, or voicemail. Review and summarizes patient medical necessity for admissions to a behavioral health unit and triaging patient for appropriate placement. Ability to provide a verbal case presentation to the attending physicians and other involved. Demonstrate triage and assessment skills for medical necessity or appropriate outpatient clinic. Provides accurate, ongoing, and timely information to coworkers, physicians, outside agencies, with a professional and courteous manner. Demonstrates expertise in accessing social systems by providing resource-specific information to patients and families, initiating contact with appropriate resources and facilitating the patient/family’s ability to accept referrals.